Infinitum Crystals - Conquest of Virtue [4]

Chapter 5.21 - Yumiko - Fair Play

We've set up a big camp further away from FF Base. White had told me it's better to set up a camp outside of my territory because we won't be losing anything if we happened to be on the losing side of the battle. But that won't happen of course. From what I was able to gather, we placed our camp on an empty territory. This place was not mine or even our enemy from The Republic of Nova Crystalist.

"Have you seen, Lord White, your excellency?" Blanc entered my tent.

I replied, "No I have not. He is scouting ahead in case you're wondering."

"So are we finally taking over Nova Crystalist?" she asked.

"Not quite, my liege. This is probably the few of so many upcoming battles to come."

"What do you mean?"

I explained to her, "We're currently on vacant territory which means that if we win this battle, we will only push the enemy back to their state. After that, there's the capital which is deep inside among Nova Crystalist's city."

"That's a lot of battle...will we be able to win it all in one sweep?"

I laughed and told her, "I would be happy if that's true but unfortunately...we don't have that much supplies to go on a continuous battle. And besides...our main purpose is not really taking Nova Crystalist."

"Really? I thought that was the plan."

"This battle is only a mere distraction for the true enemy. But until then, we still have to go all in. Winning this battle could be beneficial for us."

Blanc was confused, "In what way exactly, your excellency?"

Just as I was about to tell her my next move, White suddenly entered my tent.

"Reporting in." White was seen in his white and red robe.

"Is that all you're wearing? This is a war, Lord White. You could get hurt." Blanc told him.

White then assured her, "Don't worry. You see this armor?"

Apparently White had a combination of light armors on him alongside those robes. He also had a slew of weaponry on his body. There's a crossbow, some throwing knives, ropes, sword and probably potions in those leather bags. Now he's definitely look like an assassin.

"So what's the situation, Lord White?" I asked him.

White then reported, "A battalion of enemy troops has started taking formation at the central plains."

"Oh yeah, I forgot that this place is a vast wide plain with rocky hills around it. Think you can do something with the environment?"

White told me, "We could ambush from the hill but that would need the enemy to march near the foot of the hill."

"Is our only option is to head straight into them?" asked Blanc.

"That seems to be the case but we won't be using most of our troops at the middle." White then suggested, "I think we could separate our troops and use the hill to pass by that battalion. But of course, in order to do that, we need to distract them with our own front line."

"I can do that." Blanc volunteered.

"Good, it's going to be a tough battle so I hope you're prepared." White warned her.

"No problem! I'm always ready! We can all be thankful to Shiro for providing us with these mobile cannon that we can bring to the front line. We have artillery on our side."

Then I interrupted them, "But please be careful, Lord Blanc. We don't yet know how advanced are our enemies. They could potentially have something that may surprise us. So might I remind you if there's ever anything wrong during the distraction...I want you to fall back and use this..."

I handed her a gun.

"What's this?" She asked.

I told her, "That's not a real firearm unfortunately. That's a flare gun. It's used as a signal. In this case, its a signal that we have underestimate the enemy. Remember that, Lord Blanc."

She nodded, "Yes, your excellency!"

A few minutes later, the battle have started as the clashing of blades and shield can be heard singing in the battlefield. White was just about to get onto his horse before I stopped him.

"Do you know where you going?"

White then replied, "Just after the hill, is the forest that you mentioned. It's the only forest in this plains."

"Very well. Good luck."

White got onto his horse and made its way to the hill. At the same time as well, some of my own troops was also using the hill in order to sneak past the enemy front line. Once they get a clear view of the enemy main camp, we can set up a base at the hill.

But just as I was happily planning out all of these, I heard an explosive sound. I looked at the front line and then I saw it...

"Impossible...How do I not know of this...How can the enemy be more advanced then I am?"

A bunch of crater suddenly appeared after a burst of explosion on random places. It was apparently mortars. The enemy has mortar technology already while we're still using cannons and explosions.

"Where's Blanc? Where is she? Where is the signal?!"

And then, just as got myself worried over Blanc, the flare signal finally comes up into the sky. I looked at where it came from and saw that White was the one who shot it. Blanc can be seen still fighting next to him. Why did White come down to the hill? Was he saving his friend? Impossible...

But considering that the signal have been used. It's time for me to use my elemental magic. I burst out a large geyser right at the middle of the battle. I had no time to make sure my own AIs were safe or not considering that White and Blanc was already at a safe place. And there it was, rain. It's not normal rain, but it's raining AIs. They all fell down all over the place.

I did this out of panic. I didn't think it could get worse then this. But this is also where our story finally comes full circle as White once again saved Blanc from the falling AIs. White was immediately buried by all of the felled AIs. That idiot...what was he thinking?

And so, I brought out my only remaining teleportation bullet and used it to reach White. This is where the story finally converges as I'm still feeling a bit remorse of what I just did to both my enemy as well as my own troops...

TO BE CONTINUED